CHAPTER 48: VICTIM OF SUCCESS

Okay... I’ll come out and accept it.

I was mistaken about Seth Clayford. He is not a girl, but a boy—a man, in his own words.

But how can I be blamed for this error?

He has long silvery hair, with gem-like blue eyes and a cute, beautiful face. His skin is soft and clear, and he has a short, delicate frame akin to a lady. All of these androgynous features would confuse anyone.

Unfortunately, he seems to have taken offense at my mistake, which has made things rather awkward between us now.

Of course, I made sure to fix the matter and apologize.

Thankfully, due to his being a member of the Clergy, he had to accept my apology.

As a result, we are cool now.

But... my goodness! What a vast world this is, indeed.

Someone can be a man, and one would have no idea based on their physical features alone. Just to be safe, it’s best I confirm with anyone I meet in the future—else I risk offending them.

We learn new things every day.

Back to the matter at hand, though, the J-Tutorial Club has finally stabilized thanks to the efforts of all my administrators. They handled their jobs well. Of course, they weren’t perfect, and some students still left, but this was expected.

I can’t have everyone in the Club.

Besides, it’s only a matter of time before they rejoin once they see what I turn the Club into.

We can only go up from here!

In the coming weeks, we will be accepting Lesser Nobles and strengthening the structure of the Clubs in order to accommodate their numbers. Suppression measures will also be put in place to ensure they know their place within our organization.

However, this won’t be outright prejudice. If we won’t overdo it, it will end up having the opposite effect that I desire. After all, the Nobles will leave if they are ostracized too much.

This isn’t even about their pride, but human nature generally.

There must be a balance in everything, and I intend to strike the perfect one in my Club.

Compartmentalization will also be more important than ever.

A bureaucracy will have to be made, simulating the kind of status quo that exists in the outside world. Naturally, this will favor our earlier members more, but Nobles will be given a chance to rise through the ranks if they put in the work.

This will create a veil of meritocracy, like the one the Academy has, but on a much smaller and simplified scale.

As long as I pay close attention, I should be able to handle everything just fine.

But... there’s something else.

Besides the clear issues that need to be handled when it comes to the Club’s administration, there is another thing that cannot be ignored any longer.

—Spies.

With the influx of Lesser Nobles into our ranks, I recognize that some of them will be spies of other Factions. However, this doesn’t bother me as much as one might expect it to.

Why? Because there are already spies in the J-Tutorial Club.

Think about it well.

How exactly do most Knight Households afford to attend the Royal Academy? It’s due to the sponsorship of their patron Nobles. Such students in this situation have to report to their superiors regarding the affairs of the J-Tutorial Club.

In fact, the only reason they continue to remain members is because their overlords allow them to, and that’s simply because they are useful spies.

This means the J-Tutorial Club was never truly an Anti-Noble Faction.

It could never be.

Most of these students are tied to one Noble or the other, and those Nobles belong to a Faction.

This makes it useless, almost like a bad joke, to use the J-Tutorial Club to fight against Nobles in a childish attempt to change the tyrannical school system.

At least, for now.

But... this is what makes human beings so interesting as a species.

... Especially children.

We are so fickle.

Even though there are multiple spies in the J-Tutorial Club, I can clearly see that these students are glad to be a part of this group. They hold a lot of attachment to a world devoid of Nobles and also feel a sense of superiority, being distinct from their overlords.

That feeling... I can use it.

So what if there are spies from other Factions?

Aren’t they mere children in the end? How can they possibly compare to me in terms of wits?

I already know all their tactics.

In fact, the only reason they exist in my Club is because I allow it. As proof of this, none of the higher-ups in my Club is a spy. The ones who used to be spies have already long been converted by me before I made them a part of the inner circle.

Indeed! That is one thing I am able to do.

Rather than rejecting the spies, it is actually more efficient to bring them in and then convert them to my side. This is profitable to me in the long run, particularly because they serve as the perfect means to peer into the minds of these Nobles.

As someone with little experience in dealing with the upper echelon of society, I can use them as my ladder to gain more knowledge than ever before.

As rich and powerful as these students are, they are children in the end.

They couldn’t be any easier to manipulate.

Succeeding will mean I will have moles who have infiltrated the other Factions. Also, by including the Nobles into our ranks and controlling them, my Faction will be the one with the largest number of students in my year, as well as in other years.

In essence, I will have the Majority Rule.

***********

Weeks have passed, and I am making considerable progress in every area I set out to.

The J-Tutorial Club is prospering, and my influence is increasing.

My only major issue is that I have to make more time to study, and my workload has increased considerably. Even after delegating tasks to others, I still lead a very busy and stressful life. I only have three to four hours of sleep on average.

But, I have no complaints!

After all, I have exerted sufficient influence in the school that I am now practically the uncrowned king of my year. I haven’t quite reached the big leagues yet, particularly because the High Nobility is still excluded from my Club, but among the small and mid-ranking Factions, mine dominates easily.

I have far too many Nobles under my control, and that number is only increasing.

Even with my ambitions soaring, I remain steadfast in my duties as the leader of the J-Tutorial Club, remaining grounded so that every member can relate to me. I do not ignore their concerns and needs, further solidifying my image to them.

I hear many people calling me their role model, and that number rises by the day. Slowly, but surely... my reputation is rising to an unprecedented height.

Of course, all of this attention has attracted a lot of ill will from outsiders, but since we operate as a Club, I am able to hide behind the organization I have fostered, while also making moves from a safe distance.

Since I am no longer alone, and now have many people on my side, it has become a lot easier for me to handle the many pressures on my side.

My biggest complaint now is that there are even more women who desire me.

Every day, I receive at least one confession from a random girl.

Even seniors now have their eyes on me.

It’s getting ridiculous!

Thankfully, I am always busy with one or two things, and that has allowed me to avoid a lot of the drama associated with academy romance.

"Javier... have you never thought of dating any of the girls who confess to you?" On my way to my dormitory, I suddenly get asked this question by Seth Clayford.

The evening breeze is a little chilly this evening, and the orange glow of the sun slowly turns blood red as it sets in the distance. Darkness slowly creeps upon us, but the school lamps light our path, providing illumination for us as we walk side by side.

Despite us being alone as we advance to the Silver Wing, there is no sense of awkwardness between us at all—as should be expected.

After all, Seth and I have been walking home together these days.

It started simply because we are the only two higher-ups of the J-Tutorial Club who live in the Silver Wing. As a result of this constant activity, we have gotten a lot closer and even have the status of friends.

I believe Seth is actually the only person in this Academy that I can genuinely call a friend.

I’m certain he feels the same way.

"Hmm..." I glance at him, watching the sincere expression on his face while he waits for my answer. A small smile creeps up my face, and I shrug in response. "Not at all. I simply want to focus on my studies and graduate from this school in peace."

Seth laughs a little, his cute chuckle dancing in my ears like a fascinating melody.

I’m not surprised by this.

This man is actually the best vocalist in the Ethereal Choir, and that is one of the reasons he is so popular among the Clergy. There is definitely something else, but he has yet to tell me about it.

It must be a very big secret, so I haven’t pushed for it yet.

"Peace, huh? If you simply wanted peace, you wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of creating that study group and pushing it so far until it became a club. You would have kept your head low and lived according to the rules of the school, not challenging its systems. You wouldn’t have invested so much time and effort into the Club, to the point of even sacrificing your study time. You haven’t been sleeping a lot these days, right? You’re always exhausted, too. The Club has been taking up a lot of your time, but if you truly wanted peace, why would you go so far?"

After listening to Seth speak, it’s my turn to chuckle.

Unlike his voice, mine is a little deeper, but it still has a soft, gentle tone to it.

"Perhaps you’re right..."

"Which means you must be seeking something. Most people in your position would have abused their power already, but you’ve always been fair and handled things with perfect control. Even for some actions that don’t make sense at first, when things unfold, it turns out that your decisions were the best move..." Seth stares at me with his wide-open eyes, his cute face showing a hint of wonder and suspicion. "It’s strange for you not to show any kind of flaw, even in terms of desires..."

"Is that why you asked me if I wanted to date any of the girls?" I laugh aloud.

"Mhm..." He nods softly. "Many people do these sorts of things for attention or gratification. Even if they have grand ideals, they won’t be able to resist temptation and the many benefits that come with amassing so much power."

I smile and nod in understanding.

The thing is, I can see the point that Seth is making.

My position has elevated me to a point where too many women desire me. Who would really blame me if I decide to date one or two of them?

I have the opportunity to act a little selfishly as a result of my influence, yet I have never done so.

My actions have always been for the benefit of the Club and the students within it.

Many people admire me because of this trait, but this is also a very suspicious thing to perceptive people like Seth.

I suppose I have become a victim of my own success.